Electrical circuit component handlers are provided in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,579, entitled Electrical Circuit Component Handler and assigned to the assignee of the present application, describes one such circuit component testing machine.
With reference to FIG. 2, there is shown an overall pictorial view of the electrical circuit component handler of U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,579, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. FIG. 2 illustrates a handler 10 having a loading frame 12 defining a loading zone 13, a plurality of test modules 14 defining a test zone 15 and a blow-off 16 defining a blow off zone 17. In operation, electronic components are passed through load frame 12 and are individually drawn into test seats 24 found on a test plate 20 with the assistance of a vacuum.
FIG. 3 illustrates a prior test plate 20. Test plate 20 includes concentric test seat rings 22. Each test seat ring 22 includes a plurality of test seats 24. Test seats 24 are defined by an aperture that passes through test plate 20.
With reference to FIG. 4, the underside of prior art test plate 20 is shown. A vacuum link 26 is provided for each test seat 24 such that vacuum link 26 and thus test seat 24 are exposed to a vacuum pressure.
With reference to FIG. 5, there is shown a stationary vacuum plate 30 that underlies test plate 20. Stationary vacuum plate 30 includes a plurality of vacuum channels 32 in which vacuum pressure is delivered so as to create vacuum pressure in test seats 24.
After the electronic components are drawn into test seats 24, handler 10 indexes test plate 20 so that the electronic components may be tested in the test zone 15. The electronic components are removed from test plate 20 in blow off zone 17. Subsequently the components are sorted according to the test results.